When you import module data that includes a timescale, you can map Time on dates, time periods, or item names.

In order to map a module import to the timescale, the module you import into must have Time as one of its dimensions.

If you want to map the timescale on names, you must prepare the source data so there's an exact character match with the labels as they appear in the grid. For example Jul 22 must match to Jul 22, not July 22.

To map the timescale in a module import:

  1. In the Mapping tab of the Import dialog, map a column in the source data to Time and select the Time tab.
  2. Choose a format by which to match the dates in the source file:
    • Dates, if the source file contains numeric dates
    • Periods, if the source file contains months and years
    • Periods in specific year, if the source file contains periods without a year
    • Match names, to name on date formats that include text
      If you select Match names you do not need to set a date pattern format.
  3. Choose a date pattern format.
    You can choose from:
      • Patterns with Separators
        For example, Y-M-D, where Y is the year (in one, two, or four digits), M is the month in one or two digits or the month name, and D is the day number in the month.
        The separator can be any non-alphanumeric character.
      • Fixed-position Patterns
        For example, YYYYMMDD, where which digits refer to the year (YYYY), month (MM), and day (DD) is determined by the position in the source text.
      • Custom fixed-position pattern
        Enter a pattern to identify what each digit in the data signifies:
        • DD, for a one or two digit calendar day between 1 and 31
        • WW for a one or two digit week number between 1 and 53
        • MM for a one or two digit month between 1 and 12
        • YY for a two-digit year (if you enter YYY, as in FYYY, the import looks for a valid two-digit number anywhere in the string)
        • YYYY for a four-digit year
        • MM for a one or two-digit month between 1 and 12
        • ? to represent any character to be ignored
  4. Optionally, adjust the dropdowns under Options on the right.
    You can select:
    • whether the year number represents the Calendar Year, Fiscal Year, or Start of Fiscal Year.
    • whether the month number represents the Calendar Month or the Fiscal Year Month.
    • the Language for month names.
    • a Specific year (this is disabled if it does not apply to the format selected).

You can then either select Run Import, select OK to save your import for later, or continue mapping the other columns.